Las Vegas Casino Maid Caught Stealing

When one takes a trip to Vegas for a gambling adventure and decides to book a stay in a lavish, beautifully decorated upscale hotel, being robbed is often the last thing on your mind. After all, these luxury rooms usually come with pool access, a workout room, a spa area and even a minibar. The odds of being robbed in such a secure location are low, so the possibility of anything of that nature occurring is rare. That being said, where wealth resides, so do those who want to take advantage of it. No one expected the help to be the source of this latest robbery, and going from the life of a simple hotel maid to the life of a criminal mastermind responsible for stealing a million dollars is quite a leap. This maid took a lot of risks, and in the end crime didn't pay for her.

It's a risky endeavor, and only the truly foolish would be so desperate and brave as to steal from a highly secured hotel like this one. However, this Las Vegas maid was relentless in her quest for riches, and was recently busted for stealing $1 million dollars in cash and jewelry. This housekeeper had truly snapped, as boldly pocketing seven-figures in a secure hotel is no easy task.

The Palazzo is where this robbery occurred. This central hotel is located on the Las Vegas strip, and is usually known for its safety among its amenities and general luxury. When reports began to surface about a housekeeper who was arrested for allegedly stealing both jewelry and large amounts of money from the high rollers and other wealthy patrons staying in the rooms, the news certainly caught the attention of the community at large. The maid in question is named Maria Menendez Betancourt, and was even bold enough to wear one of the guests' golden bracelets as police handcuffed her and took her into custody. Its possible this isn't the million dollar maid's first offense, either.

In early June, KLAS reported that a guest at the resort said that her room had been burglarized. During this robbery, more than $8,000 was stolen. Based on court documents, Maria Menendez Betacourt was named as a suspect in the investigation. While she was never charged or confirmed to be the culprit in this case, the coincidence cannot be denied.

The day the robbery occurred, hotel security confirmed that Menendez Betacourt had entered a guests' room, despite the fact she was not actively assigned to clean the guests' floor that day. Later in the month, security contacted the police with information that she stole over $100,000 from another guest. Maria got messier with her actions this time. In fact, she wasn't even working that day. Instead, she showed up and entered the room using her hotel credentials. Maria was even seen entering multiple rooms, on numerous floors without a cleaning cart in hand, or any supplies. This only made Maria look more suspicious to the authorities investigating.

What Maria likely hadn't accounted for is security footage. The hotel security footage showcased that one guest lost $110,000 in cash and checks after she entered their room. Court documents regarding the case state that “Menendez Betancourt discovered these items and concealed them in white bath towels (she) found in the room.” As of right now, Menendez Betancourt is out on bail, but is not allowed anywhere on the Las Vegas strip. Unfortunately, this is not the first time casinos and the Las Vegas strip have been targeted by thieves. It's natural a location known for its exquisite wealth and luxury would attract the attention of thieves.

It was only last week that a Las Vegas couple was arrested for stealing up to $650,000 in cash and chips from a casino in Primm, Nevada. Their ambitious Bonnie and Clyde-style robbery didn't work out for them in the end! Their fantasies were quickly crushed by the sound of handcuffs being slapped on their wrists. In November, Erik Gutierrez Martinez pleaded guilty to scamming $1.2 million from Circa Casino. The arrested party was only 24 years old.